Tuesday, May 26, 1998 Last modified at 12:49 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 1998

Some activists ready for new sheriff in town

FORT WORTH (AP) - A split is forming among Tarrant County Republican activists over the policies and practices of the county's GOP sheriff.

Sheriff David Williams has had ongoing battles with county commissioners over vehicles, helicopters and personnel.

More than two years remain in Williams' second term, but the names of potential Republican challengers already are being discussed.

Mike Parrish, Tarrant County assistant district attorney, and Brad Patterson, former president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, are frequently mentioned, as are former state Sen. Bob McFarland and state Reps. Kim Brimer and Toby Goodman.

Parrish would not comment on the speculation; Patterson, who works for the Fort Worth Police Department, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he's considering a run in 2000.

Brimer and Goodman, whose legislative districts include portions of Arlington, said they hadn't even considered the possibility. McFarland, an Arlington attorney and former FBI agent, is on vacation and couldn't be reached to comment.

Three of the four Republican members of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court said that if the election were held today, Williams might be in trouble.

"If we held the election today, he'd lose," said Commissioner Glen Whitley. "Right or wrong, he would have a tough time being re-elected."

But Tom Davis, chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party, said he was unaware of any talk of a primary challenge, saying Williams enjoys "quite a bit of support among precinct chairmen."

Williams, himself, says there is a "wealth of misinformation floating around" and that he has the support of most Tarrant County residents. "I think there is a silent majority out there," he said.

However, former county GOP Chairman Steve Hollern says Williams risks seeing his support slip away if he doesn't move quickly to improve his public image.

"I'd like David to be the person to pull it out. He's still got time, but the clock is ticking fast," Hollern said.

Williams has come in for criticism for using drug-sniffing dogs at a peaceful civil rights rally, giving a gun and badge to a top political contributor, and buying military surplus helicopters without briefing county commissioners.

The criticism crested when Williams began trying to make his department into a comprehensive crime-fighting force. Urban sheriff's departments in Texas usually just run the county jails and provide law enforcement for outlying unincorporated areas.